Process of and apparatus for cutting metals



May 27, 1924.

C. J. COBERLY PROCESS oF AND APPARATUS POR CUTTING METALS Filed June 8,1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Cyfazje/zca (.7,

- Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATE-s 51,495,164 vPArelajjr ".OFFIYCE.

CLARENCE J'. COBERLY, or lLos ANGELES., CALIFORNIA, AssIGNokToCALIFORNIA BUEDETT OXYGEN COMPANY, A CORPORATION or CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS or `AND yAIPARAzrUs FOR CUTTING' METAIS..

Applicationledlune 8, 1920. Serial ll'o. $87,486.v

Tou-ZZ whom t may concern; Be itknown that' I, CLARENCE J. Co'BERLY, acitizen ofthe United States, residing at Y Los Angeles, county ofLos'Angeles, and

in this art to heat the metal so that it bel comes incandescentpreferably by an Oxy# hydrogen flame and to then supply tothe provide aprocess and apparatus by which materials may be cut which are atpresentv heated metal a jet of oxygen which unites with the metalforming 'an oxide whichis blown away leaving an open space.

The principal object of my invention is to produce an apparatus whichwill cut metal much more rapidly and at a vgreater efficiency than it isat presentp'ossible.'

A further object of my invention is to found to be impractical.

Further objects and advantages will be made more evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a section through. a diagrammatic form of my invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a top view of same. Fig. 3 is a section on a planelrepresented by the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on a planerepresented by the line 4.--4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an alternate form ofmy invention. Fig. 6 is a section on -a plane represented by the linel 6-6of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 isa section on a plane. represented by the line 7.--7 of Fig. 5.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 411 is a'body,having an oxygen passage 12 'and a hydrogen passage 13 formed therein,these passages communieating with suitable sources of supply throughflexible tubing, not shown. Valves 14 and 15 control the. supply of gasin the passages 12 and 13, these valves being opened together by meansof ascrew 16 and a cross bar 17 against the action of compressionsprings 18. The passage 13 communicates with a manifold 20 connectingthroughl small passages 21` with a hydrogen chamber 22. The hydrogenchamber 22 is formed -bustion readily starts.

between a shell 23 and-a tube 24, the shell 23 is threaded' on the body11 and clamps'.

the tube 24, as shown, This-tube 24 is preferably formed of zirconium orcerium oxide,- being formed byv mixing these oxides with an'organicbinder which is destroyed durs ing the subsequent baking operationsleaving the'tubes full of minute holes.

' The method of'o'peration of th's form of my 'inventionv is as follows:l

A vsmall amount of .oxygen and hydrogen being supplied to the passages12 and 13 byy a slight opening of the valves*l 14 and 15 the hydrogenpasses from'the chamber 22 into the interior of the-tubes through thewalls thereof mixing'with the oxygen delivered throughy the assages 12and whenvignited producing a ame outside the lower end of the tube asshown at25. Due to the slow velocity of the gases, this ame lashes'backinto the tube 24 and surface combustion is started on the inner wallsofthis tube, the hydrogen passing through the "tube being ignited whilestill-in the pores of' the tube creased, the oxygen being free to passreadily t rough the tube 24, and the hydrogen being prevented frompassing so freely as it must pass through/the pores of the tube 24. Thesurface combustion increases but there is immediately an excess ofoxygen'deliveredthrough the lower end ofthe tube. This oxygen 'is highlyheated. In practice I -nd that it ispossible tol heatit to 1800 C. oraboveland I further find 'that when this' highly heated jet ofoxygen isdelivered to the surface of the metal to be cut which Ais showndia-grammatically at 26, that a narrow opening'27 will be produced. ThisnarroviT opening I believe is due to the high chemical activity of thehighly heatedv oxygen. I find that it is unneeessaryto provide thevusual heating jet for heating the metal, the jet of super-heated oxygenheating the metal to such a degree that coin- My vinvention diers fromthe ordinary method of cutting, in thatit is not necessary atrthestarting point. of 'cutting in which the material 26 1s first -that themetal to be cut be so highly heated The present .method l10` heated upto in'candescence at the point of cut is uneconomical as considerableheat is carried' away by conduction and as the Width of the opening '27must beiconsiderable vto `compensate for this conduction. By usingysuper-heated jet of oxygen, I amable to make an extremelynarrowfcutwhich isv not only more economical but more desirable for many reasons.My invention comprises the use of this super-heated jet of oxygen' and Ihave found that' it may b'e produced by other means such as shown inFigs. 5, '6, and 7 in which 31 is a body and 32 is a cap clamping aninsulating refractory tubeV 33 against the body 3l, oxygen isV suppliedthrough a passage34 passing through the center of4 the tube 33 vWhich isheated by means of a heating element 35 supplied with electric currentthrough conductors 36 and 37, these conductors being insulated by meansof porcelain beads 38. The tube 33 isv heated up to the incandescentpoint by 'means of the electric current and the oxygen passing throughis highly, heated b its contact with the walls of this tube. ther meansmay be provided for heating the oxygen, my invention consisting broadlyof the idea of a super-'heated oxygen jet. By using a superheated jet ofhighly active oxygen, I amable to cutV materials which the present typesof cutting torches will not handle.

A I claim as my invention: v

1. A process of cutting metals which comprises producing a combustion ina confined space, forcing an. excess of oxygen through the `space inwhich said combustion takes place so that said oxygen is highly heated,and forcing a jet of said highly heated oxygen against the nietal to becut.

2. A process of cutting metals which comprises producing a combustion ina conned space of oxygen and another gas, forcing an excess'of oxygenthrough the space in which said combustion takes place so that saidoxygen is highly heated, and forcing a jet of said highly heated oxygenagainst the metal to be out.

3. An apparatus for cutting metal comprising a refractory tube, meansforheating saidtube above the meltin metal, and means for orcing oxygenthrough said tube against the metal to be cut. Q 1

fl. An apparatus for cutting metal coniprising a refractory tube, meansfor heating said tube to an 4incandescent temperature, and means forforcing oxygen through said tube against the metal to be cut.`

5. A11-apparatus for cutting metal comprising a porous refractory tube,means for supplying hydrogen or the like to the space around said tubeand at a pressure sufficient to force. said hydrogen through the poresof said tube, means for initiating a surface combustion inside saidtube, and means for forcing `oxygen through said tube against the metalto be cut.

6. .An apparatus *for cutting metals comprising: walls forming acombustion chamber inside said apparatus.; means for initiatingacombustion in said chamber; means for passing oxygen in excess of thatneeded for combustion through said combustion space; and a tip fordirecting the mixed products of combustion and the excess ox gwen underpressure against the metal -to e' cut.V v

In testimony whereof, I have hereuntor set `my hand at Los Angeles,California, `this 28th day of'May, 1920.

' .CLARENCE J. COBERLY.

point of any 1

